Erin Buchholtz

PhD Student

Sam's research interests revolve largely around animal movement and spatial ecology which she applyies towards a holistic understanding of the ecology of a particular species or taxa. Most of her research and experience in the field has involved large reptiles. Before starting at Clemson, she worked in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, working on a variety of projects with both native and invasive herpetofauna. Prior to this, she completed her master’s degree at Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand, where her thesis focused on the movement ecology and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons. At Clemson, she plans to build upon the analytical techniques she has applied previously in her roles to better understand how landscape connectivity influences wildlife movement in the Southeastern US.

PhD Student, co-advised with D. Jachowski

John is a PhD student studying population estimation methods for black bear in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, comparing estimates based on camera traps and hair snares. He earned his B.S. in Wildlife Biology and a minor in statistics from the University of Montana and his M.S. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in the Park Solutions Lab at Clemson University where he focused on bear viewing in Alaska. John's research interests include quantitative methods, carnivore ecology, population dispersal, and human-wildlife conflict. He has studied giant pandas in China, common loons in Glacier National Park, and most recently worked as the assistant project coordinator for a statewide bobcat population assesment in California.

PhD Student

Charlie’s research interests lie in animal movement and migration ecology. Specifically, he is interested in how anthropogenic changes to the environment and the introduction of non-native species affects the patterns and behaviors of these organisms, especially large mammals. Before starting at Clemson, Charlie received his B.S. in Integrative Organismal Biology from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. He also received his M.S. from East Stroudsburg University where he worked on predator defense behaviors of eastern gray squirrels in urban and rural environments. At Clemson, he plans to advance his research and technical skills working on population assessments, connectivity modeling, and management practices of invasive wild pigs in Clemson’s Experimental forest and the southeastern U.S.

PhD Student

Kalpapran is studying critically endangered red wolves' movement ecology, space use and connectivity. He completed his MRes (Master of Research) degree from Nottingham Trent University where he studied African leopard population ecology and constructed a predictive model to estimate their population on a continental scale. Following this project, in his leisure time, Kalpapran is currently also working on developing an individual based model that explicitly accounts for leopard demography and movement to assess and predict functional connectivity of leopard habitats.

MS Student

Ty's research interests exist at the intersection of critical Black-Indigenous ecologies, socio-ecological systems, human-nature interactions, and community ecology. Prior to arriving at Clemson, Ty attended Central Michigan University, where they worked on salamander and mussel ecology. They worked as a natural history museum assistant at CMU's MCNH and spent time at the Memphis Zoo and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. At Clemson, Ty's research is specifically focused on understanding the land-use legacy effects of historic rice agriculture on both ecological and socio-cultural communities in the South Carolina lowcountry. Moving forward, Ty strives to continue working on interdisciplinary research with direct applications to supporting conservation efforts, fostering human-nature coexistence, and empowering Black-Indigenous communities, livelihoods, and knowledge frameworks. 

MS - August 2026

Thesis: Insect abundance and bat use of fields for foraging in the Cumberland Plateau